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Green gifts for sale at the eco-fair

Looking for Christmas gifts for your eco-friendly friends and family? The Recycling Artists Eco-Fair likely has what you’re looking for.

Clothing, accessories and jewellery all made by from recycled or recuperated materials are all up for grabs from 45 local artists that have set up shop at the Biosphere at Parc Jean Drapeau this weekend.

From elevator parts to old seat buckles to cutlery, just about anything inspire these artists.

“When I see it, I just get a flash – ‘Ah that looks like a bug’ - so I just weld all my pieces together,” said artist Vincent D’Aoust, who installs elevators for a living and takes the scraps home to create unique pieces.

The Biosphere has been hosting the fair for seven years now.

“It’s our way of promoting sustainable consumerism during the holidays. We like to buy presents, which is good, but we need to buy them in a way that lowers our impact into the environment,” said Isabel Julian of the Biosphere.

That’s the goal of artist Deni forest. From the Gaspe Peninsula, for the past 22 years, Forest has built beautiful birdhouse made from driftwood – and he’s never cut a tree for his craft.

“In big storms you'll find me on the beach, because when the storm comes, the wood comes from the storm,” he said.

There are items at the eco-fair to suit every price range, including a $500 chandelier made of crystal wine glasses.

Tat Chao salvages the glasses to give them a second life.

“These are wine glasses that are glued together, and in the middle we have a ring of LED that wraps around it and have a piece of aluminum that covers,” he said.